Vietnam is making concerted efforts to enhance its trade and investment ties with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Egypt, focusing on expanding market access and bolstering economic partnerships. During discussions, Vietnamese Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân emphasized the importance of fully leveraging the Vietnam-EAEU Free Trade Agreement to boost bilateral trade and investment. She also suggested potential upgrades to the agreement and called on the EAEU to address existing trade barriers impacting Vietnamese exports such as textiles, footwear, and rice.
In their dialogue, both parties considered improving coordination of trade data, expediting meetings of their joint committee, and increasing the use of electronic certificates of origin. EAEU officials noted that bilateral trade had nearly doubled, underscoring the vast opportunities for further growth in their economic relationship.
In a separate engagement with Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Hussein Mohamed Ahmed Eissa, Vice President Xuân advocated for more robust high-level exchanges and deeper economic cooperation between Vietnam and Egypt. She highlighted the potential for a Vietnam-Egypt free trade agreement while identifying sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, digital transformation, education, and renewable energy as promising areas for collaboration.
The talks took place in Bishkek, where Vietnam was participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus Summit. The country’s involvement in the summit reflects its broader strategy to strengthen economic and diplomatic relations with key regional partners.